


To Be With You, I'll Do Anything

by ahunmaster, TheBigLoserQueen



Series: Demon/Fairy AU [20]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Confessions, Demons, F/M, Fairies, Fluff, Het, Hugs, Human, Interspecies Relationship(s), Love Confessions, Marriage Proposal, One-Sided Attraction, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 02:10:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6310993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahunmaster/pseuds/ahunmaster, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBigLoserQueen/pseuds/TheBigLoserQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bloodshed has his father help him so that he and Thornstriker can be engaged.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Be With You, I'll Do Anything

"I don't think I've ever seen you look so nervous."

Bloodshed turned to the older man, who simply smiled at the murderous look his son had on. But Bloodshed didn't say anything before looking back at the window of the carriage. Soundwave rolled her eyes and shook her head at her husband's poke at his son, but Bombrush didn't say anything more. The last thing he wanted to do was get Bloodshed all riled up and bent out of shape before they met Thornstriker's parents.

To be perfectly honest, Bloodshed could have cared less about her parents. They were greedy little bastards who only cared about status. When Bombrush had written to them, they had written back that they would be "delighted" to converse with him and his son. They were only delighted because Bombrush was a general and his wife was one of Megatron's most trusted advisors. They both carried status, power, and wealth. And of course, he was Captain of the Guard and was known to be one of Megatron's "most glorified soldiers." He wasn't too worried about getting permission to marry their daughter.

He was worried about Thornstriker, that beautiful fairy he had meant all those months ago. She was so sweet and kind... So pure and innocent. And he fell in love with her. Hard.

He had never planned to say anything about it. Not to her. He didn't want to ruin their relationship by admitting his feelings to her. He didn't want her to be afraid of him. A hulking demon who was no better than some vicious wild beast. He didn't deserve her. She was too good for a monster like him...

But when she told him her parents were going to marry her off to her friend Warpath, he couldn't bring himself to let it go. He wouldn't let it happen. He had only met her friend twice, but that was enough for him to know how much he hated the other fairy and how much he didn't want them to marry. It was obvious (except to Thornstriker, oblivious as always) that Warpath was in love with her, but he wasn't good enough for her. Warpath... No. He just couldn't let her marry him.

So he did the only thing he could. As much as he hated to remind himself of what happened, he had no other choice but to ask Bombrush for help. He would have done it himself, but he was not charismatic. He was not charming. He could not woo people with words. Bombrush could. And he was incredibly good at it, even though Bloodshed didn't want to admit it.

Regrettably, it was thanks to Bombrush that he was going to meet Thornstriker's parents. To ask for her hand. To go through all the formalities and be allowed to marry Thornstriker.

But that still left Thornstriker and her own thoughts on the marriage.

What if she didn't want to be a demon's wife? What if she didn't want to live in the demon kingdom? After all, it had only been two and a half years since the entire debacle with Megatron and Eclipse... Thornstriker knew about that entire disaster. He didn't want her to think he would put her through that same sort of torture and fear.

Or what if she actually wanted to marry Warpath? She had said that she only viewed Warpath as a friend, but... What if she actually liked the idea of being his wife? At least if she married him, she could stay in the fairy kingdom. She wouldn't have to live in some foreign place where she didn't know the culture, the land, or even the people. Even though she had said she studied a bit on demon culture, fairies were generally afraid of demons. Thornstriker, as open and understanding as she was, probably wasn't an exception.

Or what if he was the problem? What if she didn't want to marry him? They were friends, yes, but... They had only known each other for a little less than a year. There were probably still plenty of things they needed to learn about each other. What if she was afraid he would hurt her? Even though he would never... She was still a fairy. He was a demon. And fairies believed demons wanted to make them into their food, their toys. What if she believed the same?

His hand balled into a fist. Damn it, he hated this. He was never this anxious about anything. This wasn't something he was used to. He didn't want to act like some scared brat. He was a man. He needed to act like one.

So why the fuck couldn't he calm down?

"You having last minute jitters there, Bloodshed?"

If he wasn't so tense at the moment, the demon wouldn't have turned around again and growled at his father. Bloodshed knew his father had been teasing him ever since he told him about Thornstriker, but he had tried to not acknowledge the taunts in order to convince his father it was pointless to do so.

But Bombrush was quick to get the message this time around. He loved to egg his son on to get some emotion out of him, but even he knew when to stop and show his son support.

"Bloodshed..." He slowly raised up his hands in a sign of peace. "You asked for my help and I promise you, Soundwave and I will do everything we can to make sure these talks go well. If Thornstriker's parents are like anything I've heard about them, they would care less if all you said to them was a simple greeting."

"If it makes you feel better, Bloodshed," Soundwave chimed in, "We might be able to convince them to have you two 'meet' while we discuss the marriage. After all, I believe it is tradition for the fairies to have the young ones interact while the adults are discussing such matters."

Groaning, Bloodshed let his head slump into his hand. "That... I'm not sure they would allow that.... Fairies- Her parents might not like that."

He knew better than them. Even if it were some fairy tradition of some kind for intendeds to talk before the marriage was arranged, he knew Thornstriker's parents better than his father and Soundwave.

Or perhaps not. Her parents were cutthroat and greedy, willing to use their own children to raise their status and increase their own wealth. Hell, even Thornstriker's current engagement to Warpath wasn't because they were close friends. Warpath's father was a chamberlain to the king and an arranged marriage would give her family a great increase in influence and power.

It was only because (and he hated to admit this) he was Bombrush's rightful heir that he had a chance to earn Thornstriker's hand over Warpath's. A chamberlain to the Fairy King held great power and influence, more than Bloodshed's position as Captain of the Guard.

But Bombrush... He was the Demon King's Army General and King Megatron's closest friend. He was known across both kingdoms for many things: his skill in war, his influence in the courts, his talent to seducing women (and many men). And there were even talks of his wives: his late wife was the beautiful, kind, but strict Pixela while his current one, Soundwave, was elegant, mysterious, and capable of protecting herself in battle. Both were also respected members of the demon court and also well known for their intellect in politics and negotiations in the fairy kingdoms.

That was an offer too tempting for even the purest fairy families to not consider.

Still, he wanted Thornstriker to want this too. He didn’t want her to feel forced or pressured… He was almost afraid to ask her, but he knew he had to. Even if he received Thornstriker’s parents’ permission, he still wanted hers too.

He just hoped she would give it. 

* * *

Bombrush wasn’t sure how he was expecting this all to go, but he definitely didn’t think it would turn out like this. Yes, in the letter he received from her parents, they had expressed their excitement to meet with him and his son. But he knew that these people were rather greedy and could be incredibly calculating when it came to improving their status.

It didn’t seem like Soundwave or Bloodshed was expecting such a… warm welcome from these people. But it was what they were greeted with. Bloodshed found it appalling, since he knew they were only acting like perfect parents in order to impress them. Not that he cared what his possible future in-laws would be like. He only wanted Thornstriker.

Still, he greeted them respectively, as painful as that had been. The man escorted them to what he could assume was the parlor while the woman went to go get some snacks and drinks. Luckily for Bloodshed, Bombrush and Soundwave were able to make small talk for him and he was allowed to simply sit in the parlor quietly and look around the house.

It was hard to describe. While everything was bright and colorful, like most fairy homes were, something about this house just seemed… cold. Which might have sound strange considering he came from the demon kingdom, but this house… It just wasn’t friendly. It was bright with color, but… it was gaudy. Just a show of how much wealth this family had and how much more they wanted. How the hell did these two vile bastards create the most angelic, innocent, sweet woman in the world? He would probably never understand that.

“We must say, we were quite surprised when we received your letter, Sir Bombrush,” the woman said, sitting next to her husband with that plastic smile on her face.

The general smiled. “Well, I felt it best to write first, as I’m sure you would have liked to have known the background of a potential suitor for your child.”

“It was incredibly thoughtful of you. We never would have guessed though that the Demon General would want a marriage to happen between his son and our daughter.”

More like his son wanted the marriage with their daughter. The only reason why Bombrush was even here was because Bloodshed knew he needed the old man’s help. Without him… There was probably no way he could convince Thornstriker’s parents that he was the better choice. They didn’t care if he could protect her or make her happy; they only cared about what they could get out of the marriage.

Soundwave looked over the two fairies. This should be easy. These two only wanted to hear about how this marriage will benefit them. All she and Bombrush would have to do was flaunt their achievements, as well as Bloodshed’s. After all, they had to build him up to make him seem like the perfect heir that would give them a good name in the future.

But first, she needed to do one thing before she bolstered themselves.

"We believed that it would be best if Bloodshed married a fairy."

Everyone looked to her.

"As I'm sure you are aware, the only other demon-fairy marriage existing now is the one between King Megatron and his wife, Queen Eclipse."

Sure, there were demons and fairies in relationships, but even then, the number of mixed couples was incredibly low. In order to have more peace between the two races, there needed to be understanding. There needed to be co-existences. And prosperous marriages were a perfect show of just that.

"King Megatron has been... advocating for mixed marriages." That was a complete lie, the king honestly didn't care, but Shockwave had been the one to bring up the idea of more marriages and Megatron just happened to agree. "He would no doubt find this marriage to be sacred and one that needed to be protected, so to speak."

"Yes..." the husband murmured softly. "King Airstrike and Queen Radar also hope for more peace between the two kingdoms."

Soundwave nodded. "As you know, tension is often high around the border due to the past. Bombrush and I have discussed it thoroughly; you oversee a large portion of the guards that patrol the border while Bloodshed is Captain of the Guard, who frequently comes by and is in charge of keeping peace of his side of the border. We are also aware of your family's rather impressive reputation and pure bloodline."

The two fairies smiled proudly at that, the husband nodding in pride.

She had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. These two were just far too easy. Give a few bouts of mindless praise and they just ate it up. No wonder Bloodshed didn't seem to care for them. She certainly didn't.

"Because of this, we've concluded: the best way to begin creating peace is at the border. And what better way to do so than having the Demon Captain of the Guard marry the daughter of one of the stronger Fairy Overseer Nobleman who live along the border? If a marriage is possible and successful, peace will slowly, but surely start to form. And I'm most definitely certain both of our kings would be... most grateful for our efforts." 

The two fairies looked at each other. Clearly, they hadn't thought about that. To have their king be grateful to them? Primus... That opened up almost limitless possibilities for them. All the potential in the world to move up in society. Maybe even become part of King Airstrike's royal court!

Bombrush was doing everything he could to not laugh. These two were so greedy - it was incredibly easy to tell what they were thinking. Glancing over at his son, he could see that Bloodshed knew what they were thinking too and was trying his best to hide his look of utter disgust. Poor boy - he was definitely not going to get along with his in-laws.

The wife cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention to her. "Mister Bombrush?"

"Yes?"

She smiled, one that made Soundwave slightly annoyed while Bombrush was just amused. That was definitely not a friendly smile; oh no, Bombrush recognized that sort of smile from anywhere. The woman had actually given him that same smile all those years ago when he had come to visit them. Of course, back then, she had made it blatantly clear that she wanted to sleep with him (despite the fact he had been married to Pixela at the time), but that didn't matter at the moment.

"I remember you coming by a long time ago."

"Ah, yes - and might I say without meaning offense to anyone, you look as lovely as the first time we met."

The husband didn't seem to care while the woman's smile grew. Bloodshed held back a groan while Soundwave's expression remained neutral, despite her desire to hit him. Hard.

"You had met our daughter, do you remember?"

"I do; she was quite cute, hiding behind your skirt the way she had."

"And you had made a comment - just a little joke - about having our children marry. I just found it amusing that you would actually come back with a real proposal."

He chuckled. Yes, he vaguely remembered saying something like that. Something about how he would have loved to have "such a cute daughter-in-law like Thornstriker one day." He supposed it was a little funny now, thinking back on it. But he knew better than to just leave it at that.

"Well, it only seemed right," he said, almost nonchalantly. "Your daughter comes from such a wonderful background. She's a lovely young woman who would make a fine wife. And I only want what's best for my son, so why not give him the best wife to have?"

Both of Thornstriker's parents brought their hands up to cover their chuckles, clearly flattered for being credited with creating such a perfect specimen of a wife for a demon like the Army General's son. Bombrush glanced over at his son again, noting the small glare the young demon was giving them. Obviously, something was upsetting him and it had to be about Thornstriker and her upbringing.

"But of course my dear Thornstriker is," the wife waved away before reaching over for her glass of wine to sip at, "The moment my daughter entered this world, I cherished her like any mother would. And I did everything within my means to give her the best upbringing as a member of society and court!"

Yep. Lies. All of them. Bombrush didn't need to even try to see through the deception. This must have been what was upsetting Bloodshed. This shallow fairy was indeed one of the bad fairies Bombrush had ever met. Not the worst, oh no, he had met some rather shady characters here and there...

But the level of utter stupidity and uncouth from these people was just mind-boggling. For such beings to produce someone that Bloodshed would be willing to bow and bend (not literally, but it was close enough) for to have as his wife?

There was more to this family then he had thought and he was willing to play with them further. Hopefully Soundwave would look over his flirtation and help him turn these two inside out without them even noticing.

"I'm sure you have, my lady," Bombrush turned the suave up high on that last word, causing the wife to bat her eyelashes at him, "And because you have done such a wonderful job raising her to be a fine young woman, she will be the perfect wife for Bloodshed who will surely be of great benefit in the future."

That caught the husband's attention. "The future?"

Soundwave was the one to answer this time. "While Bloodshed's current position is Captain of the Guard, in due time, he rank higher within the army. He is one of King Megatron's most respected warriors; many people both admire and respect Bloodshed for his vast achievements in battle. Not to mention he is a fine strategist and will potentially take Bombrush's place as general whenever my husband chooses to retire."

Bombrush nodded in agreement. "My son will definitely be doing places in life, if I may brag about him a bit. And when that happens, he will need a wife to take care of him and tend to him when needed. And you have clearly educated and trained your daughter into being a wonderful woman that any man would be more than happy to marry. I'm certain you've had other suitors come by for her, considering how well you raised her."

"Oh yes," the woman said, smiling brightly. "We've received many letters from all sorts of men."

"We reviewed them all, but there were just so few that we felt were good enough for our daughter," the husband commented, nodding to himself. "We only want the best for her and we didn't want anything less."

Bloodshed had to look away, too disgusted to even look at these people. Liars. They were filthy little liars. They didn't care about Thornstriker. They didn't care who she married so long as they were someone with power and someone who could give them what they wanted. For fuck's sake, they probably would have married her off to some old perverted nobleman if they thought they could gain something from it. They didn't have her best interest in mind. They never did. The only reason why they considered her best friend was because of the man's father. Not because they felt Warpath could take care of her.

He wanted to kill them. Just slice their throats open and take Thornstriker away from these horrible people. She was too good for parents like them. They were scum. He would never understand how someone like her could be the offspring to people like that.

But he stayed put. He had to get this to work. He needed them to agree. He wanted to marry her and make her happy. To save her from any potential marriage that would ultimately scar her for life. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen.

"I understand completely, Bombrush said, smiling. "As I said before, I only want the best for my son as well. And clearly, your daughter is."

"We were honestly considering giving her away to another before we received your letter," the husband admitted, taking a sip from his wine. "A fine young man, Sir Warpath, but we hesitated since we were worried for our daughter's future."

"It's an incredibly tough decision to make," Soundwave stated.

"Yes... But perhaps it was best that we waited. Otherwise, we wouldn't have discussed this with you." He turned to look at his wife, who simply smiled and nodded once. His smiled widened as he turned to face the three demons. "Perhaps this was Primus' way of telling us to wait."

Bloodshed perked up at that and turned to face the two fairies. Wait. Did that mean-? Were they going to allow him to-?

"I don't think we can think of a better man suited for our daughter than your son, General Bombrush."

The general smiled brightly. This had certainly gone a lot smoother and easier than he had anticipated. Not that he minded. He was more than happy to not have to deal with any arguments. Their greed definitely made this much easier though, so he was slightly glad that these people were so self-absorbed.

He glanced at his son. Primus, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted out of his shoulders. Truth be told, he was relieved too. He knew how much this meant to his son. He had wanted to marry that girl so badly that he had asked the father he couldn't stand for help. And now he was going to be able to get what he so desperately wished for.

His gaze turned back to the two fairies. "So... We should set a date for their marriage."

"Oh yes." The woman stood up and looked to Bloodshed. "I'm sure you would like to talk with your future wife about this."

"... Yes, milady."

She smiled, though this one was much more plastic than the other ones she had given. "Very well - I'll escort you to the study and have you wait there while I go fetch Thornstriker. Do you mind?"

He shook his head.

"Wonderful."

Primus, she had no idea... But Bloodshed didn't say anything else, just more than relieved that this had all worked out.

* * *

Thornstriker was a bit nervous. For whatever reason, her parents had told her to dress up today because they were having guests over. They wouldn’t tell her who these guests were, but she could only imagine them being important; they had prettied her up by having her wearing one of her more beautiful dresses and had made sure that her hair and makeup were perfect. 

She had to wonder if the guests were Warpath and his father again. After all, they had only come over once and that was to talk about a possible marriage between her and Warpath. Nothing had been finalized though and her parents had said they would talk to them again “at a later date.” Maybe today was the later date.

Her parents had been incredibly excited today. It was almost disturbing, since she had never seen them this happy before. At least not around each other. But they were giddy and excited as they made sure everything looked absolutely perfect for whoever these guests were.

Maybe it wasn’t Warpath and his father. Her parents hadn’t been this excited when they had first come over. Was it someone else? Her parents wouldn’t say and they had told her to wait in her room until they called her down. So while she waited, she pondered as to who could be coming by to make her parents so giddy. She wished Airstream were home so maybe she could talk to him about the whole matter, but he had moved out with his wife a month ago. And now that he was gone and out of the house, her parents were trying to marry her off and get her out of the house as quickly as possible.

She had been in her room the entire time while her parents were chatting with their guests. She had kept her door slightly ajar so that she could hear the conversation, but it was incredibly muffled, so she wasn't able to hear much. But she could hear two voices - a man and a woman she did not recognize. She had wondered who it was, but she was told to wait in her room until her mother came for her.

Eventually, she came in and Thornstriker was a bit taken aback by how... giddy she was. It was a bit unnerving, but she didn't say anything about it. Her mother simply told her to follow her, so she quietly walked with her to the study.

"Now my dear, do be on your best behavior for our guest," her mother's staccato voice rattled on as she practically danced across the tiled floors to the study's doors, "He's very important and you need to make a good impression on him."

"I-Impression?"

"Now don't be like that," the fairy woman turned on her heel and brought her long finger out to point at the younger fairy's nose, "I don't want you to embarrass me in front of these respectable people."

Thornstriker held back biting her lip. Her mother would scold her for ruining her makeup and probably anything else she did to try and defend herself. Mother only cared about her when something involved her or their family's status.

"Now, you listen to me very carefully." Her mother leaned in closer. "You will speak with our guest, keep him entertained, and for the love of Primus and all his children, do not disgrace our family in front of him. He has come a long way to meet you, Thornstriker, and if you do not please him-"

"I understand, Mother." Her mother would get so cold and harsh with her words whenever she was disappointed with her. Thornstriker would try and try as hard as she could, but sometimes it seemed as if she would never please her mother.

"Of course you do, my dear." The falseness of her voice stung along with the hand gently pressed to her cheek. "Now get inside and introduce yourself to our esteemed guest. He has been waiting for a while already."

"Yes, Mother." Only when her mother's hand moved away and she walked off did the young fairy carry herself properly to the study and knocked politely to announce her entrance.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, good sir," she entered quickly, closing the door behind her and curtsying, "My name is Thornstriker and-"

As she stood up straight to greet her guest, her voice died in her throat when the tall and dark shape she had seen out of the corner of her eye coming in finally come into view. The dark skin and reds of his outfit should have been obvious when she first came in.

"Hello, Thornstriker," Bloodshed spoke nervously.

"B-B-Bloodshed?" Her eyes wide open, all manner of etiquette left the fairy as she gaped, mouth wide open, at the demon that could not possibly be here in the fairy kingdom in the study of her own house.

Bloodshed didn’t say anything as he looked over her. She was all dressed up with thick makeup on and her hair up. It was nothing like how he saw her whenever they met by the river. While she looked pretty, this was just… weird on her. He didn’t like it, mainly because he knew her parents only decorated her like this in an attempt to impress him.

He could care less how Thornstriker was “presented” to him. She could have been in a tattered maid outfit and he still would have found her beautiful.

Slowly, he walked over to her, the young woman just staring at him with wide eyes, holding her hands to her chest. She simply couldn’t believe it. Her friend was here. In her house. As her parents’ esteem guest, no less! But how was he here? Why was he here?

“Thornstriker?”

The man had stopped to stand directly in front of her. Thornstriker swallowed and let her hands fall to her sides. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down before looking up at him.

“… I’m sorry for startling you,” he said softly.

“N-No, no… It’s fine.” She stepped closer to him to hug him, a gesture that he gladly returned. “I just didn’t expect to see you… here.”

He didn’t say anything, just giving her a bit of a squeeze before letting her go and allowing her to step back. Her eyes widened when she looked at his shirt.

“Oh, s-sorry.” She quickly pulled out a handkerchief. When he glanced down, he saw that some of her foundation had gotten onto his shirt. Primus, how much makeup did they put on her?

“Maybe you should just wipe it off your face.”

“Mother would get mad at me if I did that,” she said, giving a small smile as she wiped the powder from his shirt.

“You look better without it.”

She laughed softly. “Thank you.”

He simply nodded as she finished wiping the powder off. If she couldn’t take the makeup off… Not really thinking about, he reached out and slowly took out the clips holding up her hair. Thornstriker almost protested, but by the time she looked up, he had already taken out the pins. Her hair fell down, which was honestly more comfortable for her than when it had been up. Still, her mother might…

“Your mom’s the one who wants to please me so badly,” Bloodshed said, putting down the clips onto the side the table. “And I like it when you’re comfortable… And I know you prefer your hair down anyway.”

Well, she supposed he had a point. If Bloodshed was the one Mother wanted to be happy, it was a good excuse to let her hair down. Not to mention those clips pulled at her hair sometimes and stung her scalp.

“Thank you.”

He simply nodded.

“So… If I may ask, why… what brings you here?” she asked politely, titling her head to the side.

Bloodshed hesitated. The entire reason why they had been brought to the study was to discuss their… future marriage. Bombrush and Soundwave were already talking to her parents about a wedding date and where Thornstriker would live and when she would need to move her stuff… And while Thornstriker didn’t have a choice in the matter in her parents’ eyes, he didn’t want to be a selfish prick about the whole thing.

Still, he was scared. He didn’t want her to hate him or misunderstand. He had to be honest… and that terrified him. But he had to tell her the truth.

Taking a deep breath, he said softly, “… I came with my father and Soundwave today. To meet with your parents.”

“Oh? What for? Did your father want to discuss something about the borders with them?”

He shook his head. "No... They came with me... to discuss..."

"Discuss... what?

"To discuss forming a marriage between you and me."

Thornstriker didn't say anything for the longest time. She just stared at him with wide eyes with her mouth slightly agape. A marriage? Between her and Bloodshed? But... But her parents were talking about having her marry Warpath. And they had only considered other fairies. Bloodshed was a demon. And how would they even know about him?

Seeing her so silent and stunned only made the demon more anxious. "Thornstriker?"

"A... marriage?"

He nodded once.

"Between... us?"

"... Yes."

"B-But... How... They... M-My parents... Warpath..."

Bloodshed started to speak when he quickly shut his mouth upon realizing what he was about to say.

"B-Bloodshed?" Thornstriker was quick to notice his hesitation. "Is... what's wrong?"

What would she think of him? Would she be so concerned about him if she were to learn that he used his father's status as the head of the demon king's army to coerce her parents into giving her to him instead of her best friend? Would she still see him as a friend rather than for the demon that he was?

"Blood-?"

"I... I asked my father to- My father asked for the marriage on my behalf."

The fairy looked confused momentarily before her mind brought the facts together for her. "Your father? The Army General?"

"Yes... Bombrush wrote to your parents about two weeks ago and it just... well, now he's discussing the marriage date and all with them back in the parlor."

If her wide eyes were anything to go by, she had not considered the possibility. Which was also very troubling for if another nobleman desired her, say some old, perverted, and sadistic bastard who loved to break young virgin fairies, he would only have to show her parents more gold and titles to whisk her out from Warpath's safety (which he hated admitted) and into his own bed.

There was a long pause before she finally swallowed back something and asked in a quiet tone. "B-But why?"

He couldn't stop himself from biting the inside of his cheek. "I..." How could he go about this? How could he admit to wanting her, wanting her as a lover, an equal, his until death came for his corrupted soul?

Well, he couldn't string together anything fancy and poetic like his pervert of a father, so he would just have to spit it out. "I wanted to marry you."

He should have realized that wasn't going to be enough of an answer for her. "But... Bloodshed. Why-? Why do you want to marry _me_?"

There was no way he could lie to her. And not telling her everything... no, he had to. He was the one stealing her away from a marriage with her friend. He was the one who was going to potentially be the one to take her away from everything and everyone she knew and loved to live with him as his wife. He had no doubts that his father would be doing everything he could to bring Thornstriker into the safety of his home to protect her from those who would see such a union as blasphemous.

He wasn't afraid of Warpath per say. He could handle the fairy's jealous and anger with him for the rest of his life. No, he feared those in the fairy court who would not take to the union between demons and fairies being blurred even further. After what happened with King Megatron and Queen Eclipse, they had been quiet. Possibly plotting for something like this.

He wouldn't let them hurt her.

"I want-" his voice seized up on him. Primus, what was wrong with him? "I can't... To leave your life in the protection of another. To let someone else keep you safe. Give you want you need and want and always be there for you when you need someone to take care of you and-"

"Bloodshed, I don't-"

"Because I love you." That last part came out so low Bloodshed wasn't even sure she had heard it. Only her look of shock gave him the truth that she had heard the one thing he had never thought to confess to her.

It took a little bit for her to process what the man had just said. Love. He loved her. He wanted to marry so he could protect her. Care for her. Because he loved her.

Bloodshed watched as her face turned red, even though all that foundation on her face. She looked to be a bit faint, so he quickly guided her towards the nearest seat and had her sit down. He didn't sit next to her, but instead, kneeled down in front of her to keep his eyes on hers.

"Thornstriker?" he said, completely worried. "Thornstriker, are you all right?"

She couldn't find herself, but she forced herself to give a single nod so she wouldn't worry the man. But Primus, this was just so much to take in that she wasn't sure how to feel. Her friend was in love her. In love with her so much that he wanted to marry her. She wasn't sure how to take this...

"Thornstriker."

She looked back to him.

"... If you don't want this, I... I understand." Primus, he sounded so dejected when he said that. His shoulders had even slumped, looking like a sad lost little boy. "But please... Know that I really do... love you. And I just want to protect and provide for you. B-But if you don't want this, I... I will do something so that you won't get into trouble. I'll make something up so that they can't get angry with you or punish you."

"You-"

His shoulders twitched at her voice coming out cracked.

"You... You... love me?"

His eyes turned away, almost as if those words stung, before he nodded.

"When... When did-?"

"That-" He thought back. Back to that day so many months ago. They had been talking and laughing about something. It should have been something he should have remembered, but it was so trivial, so silly and childish and-

That was when she had leaned her head against his shoulder. Trying to catch her breath after laughing so hard. Her hand lay against his chest as they both tried to control their bellowing laughter.

It was then that his breath had caught in his throat. Her touch... It brought chills to his skin. But he didn't dislike it. No, he... he liked her being there. Bloodshed didn't want to think of her leaving his side. He just wanted to be with her. Forever. Protecting her from everything that could harm her.

Because he loved her.

Taking a deep breath, he murmured softly, “I… I just… I realized it a few months ago. I love you, but… I wasn’t going to tell you. And then you one day suddenly said that your parents were considering marrying you off to Warpath and I… I couldn’t let that happen.”

Thornstriker just sat back in the lounge chair she was in. He... Bloodshed loved her. He really... really loved her.

"You asked..."

"Thornstriker?"

"You... asked your father. Whom you don't get along with..." her hands clenched at the ruffles that outlined her low-cut dress, "To help you. So we... I could..."

"... So that I could be your husband instead of Warpath. Yes."

Thornstriker didn't say anything. What could she say? This was... just so much to take in. Her friend had just declared his love for her and told her he wanted to marry her! And it seemed as if her parents also wanted this marriage too... She wasn't surprised though, considering that Bloodshed was the son of the army general of the demon kingdom.

Still...

"Would... Would I have to... live in the demon kingdom?"

"... Yes."

"... And we're going to have a... demon wedding-?"

"No." 

She blinked. They weren't going to have a demon wedding? But... If she was going to live in the demon kingdom, wouldn't it had made more sense to have a demon wedding too? Though, ever since word about how demon weddings were conducted... It was something that had admittedly terrified her.

"B-But-"

Bloodshed shook his head. "I... For fairies, the wedding night is a very personal and intimate thing, I know. And I want you to feel... comfortable and respected when we... do it. And I don't want it to be in front of others either."

She didn't either. Thornstriker couldn't bear the thought of having her virginity taken by Bloodshed, her new husband, in front of all their guests.

"And I do not wish to take your virginity on our wedding day."

"...What?"

She must have been blushing because Bloodshed's cheeks started to turn red too when his eyes met hers.

"We haven't known each other that long. And though I love you, I know that you don't feel the same for me. And now that you know..." he turned away," I doubt it will change anything. And because of that... I won't force you to do anything with me. If... If you marry me, I promise you: I'll cherish you. I won't ever force you or hurt you in any way. Because I love you, Thornstriker. I really do."

Her blush deepened and she had to look away. Primus, not even Warpath had made such promises and declarations to her when they thought they would be marrying. Still, Bloodshed's promises were rather... comforting. Reassuring. Being his wife didn't seem to be a bad option, if she took everything into consideration.

They would have a fairy wedding. Bloodshed would never force her to do anything she didn't wish to do. He would protect her and cherish her until the day she died. All because he loved her. Deeply. And he only wanted to keep her safe and happy. She knew she could trust him on his word too. He was her friend. A good friend and one that she deeply cared about and trusted.

He was even giving her a choice in this marriage. If she didn't want this, he would make something up so that she wouldn't have to marry him or be punished by her parents. She could say no.

But... Saying no would mean having to marry someone else. And that someone could not even be Warpath. It could have been someone else, someone who would hurt her and abuse her. Bloodshed... Bloodshed was her best choice. He loved her. He would care for her, probably more than any other suitor her parents picked for her. Primus, he would probably care for her more than her own parents did. She would safe with him. She would be loved.

Taking a deep breath, she gave a single nod and said softly, "Is it... really okay? Do... Do you really want to be my husband? Even if... I don't feel the same way?" 

"Yes."

"Even if I never return your feelings?"

He looked pale. Thornstriker's mind started to panic, thinking that she had said the wrong thing. How could she have said that? How could she possibly tell her friend and the one who was to be her future husband that she may never love him back?

"B-Bloodshed, I didn't-"

"I'm alright with that."

She wasn't expecting that answer right away. "Y-You're not-?"

"I don't... I can't ask you to love me. I would never force you to do that. All I ask if for is to allow me to protect you. To keep you safe and healthy and happy. And if that means you never love me or even-” He nervously gulped back something, what it was, she couldn't tell. "Even if you come to love another, I will never stop loving you. And I will support you either way so long as you are content."

Her cheeks darkened again as she lowered her eyes. Primus... This was more than just a simple crush. Bloodshed... He was truly and deeply in love with her. He just wanted her to be happy. That was all he cared about: her happiness. Even if she never fell in love with him, he would be okay with that. He would never force her to fall in love with him.

How could she say no to being his wife? No one else would ever treat her this kindly. No one would prioritize her as much as Bloodshed did. Besides, she cared about him. He was her dear friend. She could be his wife. She would be the best wife she could be.

"... Then..."

He perked up a bit.

"If that's... how it is... I'll marry you."

His eyes widened. "Y-You will?"

"Y-Yes. I'll be your wife."

Bloodshed wasn't sure what to say. Thornstriker was actually saying yes. She was agreeing to be his wife. They could marry. Live together. Be together until the day they died.

Yes, he wished that she would fall in love with him. He desperately hoped that, perhaps one day, Thornstriker would grow to love him back. But he was prepared for her to only see him forever as a friend. He was fine with that. As long as he could be her husband to provide and care for her, he would never ask for anything more.

Still, he couldn't stop himself from reaching up and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, burying his face into her stomach.

"Bl-Bloodshed?!" she squeaked.

"Sorry, just..." His arms tightened a bit. "Just let me hold you like this. Just for a little bit. Please..."

"Bloodshed..." Thornstriker's hands shook for a moment before they slowly reached down to hold the demon's head. "It's alright. I don't mind."

His hands tightened around her waist as his head buried further into her stomach. It was... such a development from how they interacted the last time they were together. They could barely lay against each other let alone hold hands without either of them blushing like a tomato.

But this... his hands tight around her as if she were a lifeline in a storm out on sea. His breath dampening the silk and linens of her dress and undergarments.

It was so intimate. So close and personal.

And she didn't mind it. It was Bloodshed. It was the de-no, man who would protect her and love her and treasure her for the rest of her life.

She found his touch to be the one thing that she needed most right then and there. And she was perfectly fine just sitting there with Bloodshed in her lap until she knew someone would come by to check up on them.

But that was still a while off. For now, she was content to simply hold her… fiancé to her. Primus, that was so weird to say. That Bloodshed was now her fiancé. But, she knew it would be all right. Bloodshed… loved her. He would take care of her, make her happy.

And she would do the same for him.


End file.
